


A Heart Torn in Two

by StarryNox



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fantasy Racism, M/M, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, and slow updates tbh...the life of a chronically ill writer, twin au but with two female robins!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-04-07 19:32:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14088102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryNox/pseuds/StarryNox
Summary: When Ruya wakes up in a field near Southtown, she hasn't a clue about the forces that led her there; including her twin sister, Rajya, who is hundreds of miles away in Plegia, trying to find her way back to the only family she has left.A retelling of Awakening.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, a huge thank you to Momneth for allowing me to use Rajya, her MU, for this work, which is loosely based off of a twin au we started plotting together on tumblr. This story wouldn't be here without her encouraging me to go for it.
> 
> Secondly, a huge thank you to both Momneth and Exalted-Dawn for beta reading this story and for supporting me through this monstrosity of a project. I really appreciate all the help you have given me! 
> 
> And thirdly, thank you for giving my story a chance.
> 
> Without further ado, I bring you the prologue to A Heart Torn in Two. I hope you enjoy!

“Go, GO!”  Rajya shoved her twin forward, allowing herself only the briefest of glances backwards as they ran. Her mouth pressed into a hard line as she spotted a group of cultists chasing them through the trees.

They shouldn’t have been in Plegia at all. But they’d needed the money. Their employer promised they’d only need to accompany him to a town not far from the Feroxi-Ylisse border, so they’d decided the risk was minimal. How unfortunate that the man had turned out to be a lying snake. He’d sold them out to the Grimleal for a pretty price - a price that Rajya had ensured he wouldn’t live to see. Much as she derived a grim sort of satisfaction from that, it did little to aid their situation now.

“We can’t outrun them,” Ruya huffed as they rested in the cover of a nearby forest. “They’ll have others looking for us now. We can’t keep running--not without supplies.” Rajya felt her lips twist into a scowl. “What do we do?” Even in the darkness provided by the trees, Rajya could see the way Ruya’s hands trembled. Though neither could remember much of their time spent in the Grimleal’s care, ammi had always said that was for the best. The Grimleal were dangerous, and neither twin wanted to land in their grasp.

“Go on without me.”

“What?! No, I’m not leaving you. What if I never see you again?” Ruya didn’t finish the thought, but Rajya could hear what remained unspoken: _just like ammi_. The loss of their mother still weighed heavily upon them both, and Rajya wasn’t eager to repeat history. Still, she held herself firm.

“They won’t kill me,” she pointed out. “They need us alive.” Not that that would be much of a comfort to Ruya. Or to herself, for that matter.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about this! I won’t leave you to face them alone.”

“Do you think I _want_ to face them alone?” Rajya demanded, shooting her sister a glare. “It’s better me than you.” Her gaze swept towards Ruya’s covered hand, where they both knew the Mark of Grima rested. Ruya scowled, and both sisters knew there was no arguing against that.

“But--”

It was then that they began to hear the telltale sound of footsteps crunching over the underbrush, and Rajya swore as she shoved Ruya further into the trees. Her sister gave her a look that clearly said that the conversation wasn’t over, and Rajya grit her teeth. She knew that Ruya hated dark magic, but she was going to have to use it on her.

Rationally, it was the only way to keep Ruya out of the hands of the Grimleal. What was the grief of two girls for the fate of the world? Rajya knew this, but Gods, did she hate herself for it. A Flux spell whizzed far too close for comfort, forcing Rajya to make her choice.

“I’m sorry.” She took hold of Ruya’s arm and began weaving her spell as they ran, the glow of magic illuminating the look of terror upon her sister’s face.

“Rajya? What are you--no, don’t!” Ruya’s protests were all for naught, as Rajya’s focus was solely on ensuring her spell worked the way it ought to. It was bad enough that she was resorting to using dark magic upon her sister--the least she could do was make sure that she came out the other end of the spell in one piece. “Stop!”

But it was no use. A magic circle had begun to draw itself around Ruya’s feet. The golden glow of her magic intensified as sigils began to write themselves on the ground around her, trapping Ruya in place while the rest of the circle formed. Ruya’s expression was one of horror, but Rajya could only offer her sister a bitter smile. As the final gaps in the circle closed, and her spell took on a reddish hue. The light swallowed Ruya whole, her form fading from view even as she reached towards Rajya, as if doing so might tether her here.

The light burned brighter and brighter, and then it was over. Ruya was gone.

Rajya turned to face the Grimleal, a ferocious glare upon her features as she pulled an Elfire from its place at her hip. Flames bloomed from her fingertips, but she hardly cared when her spell crashed into the foliage instead of her intended target. She’d survive, and they wouldn’t. She knew that with the certainty of the passing of time, and so she faced them without a shred of fear. Yet inside, her heart was breaking, shattering into a thousand shards--neither the roar of the flames nor her foes’ cries of pain would be enough to drown out the sound of Ruya screaming her name before she vanished.

Rajya never considered herself the particularly religious sort, but she prayed. Prayed that she would one day see Ruya again...and that Ruya would be willing to forgive her when the time came.


	2. Chapter One

“Chrom, we have to do  _ something _ …” The words sounded fuzzy and far away, muffled by the darkness that surrounded her.

“What do you propose we do?” A man, this time, and Ruya felt her stomach drop for a reason she couldn’t put her finger on as she clawed her way back towards consciousness, squinting against the sun as she opened her eyes. A young man with dark blue hair and a young woman sporting pigtails stood over her, and she blinked up at them as their attention swiftly returned to her. 

The man smiled. “I see you’re awake now. There are better places to nap than on the ground, you know.” There was a lilt to his voice as he spoke, and he offered her a hand. She stared at it blankly before placing her own into his waiting grip, allowing him to pull her to her feet with a force that nearly sent her crashing right into him. “Sorry, sorry.” He smiled. “Are you alright?”

“I…” She cleared her throat. “Yes. Thank you, Chrom.” His brow scrunched together.

“You know who I am?”

“Your...companion called you that.” She nodded towards the blonde. “I assume that was you, anyway.” Chrom chuckled, and while she wasn’t sure what was so funny, the sound did put her somewhat at ease.

“Right, then. In that case, what’s your name? And what brings you here?” Her name was on the tip of her tongue when she was gripped with a wave of panic, some part of her mind sounding alarm bells in her mind before she could speak. That panic only grew as she realized she hadn’t the faintest idea what might be causing it in the first place--it was her name, for Grima’s sake, and surely the ones who found her deserved to know it. And yet, she was left with the overwhelming feeling that her name was a word not meant to be uttered.

“I don’t know,” she managed to lie, her stomach turning uncomfortably. At least it wasn’t a full lie--she really had no idea what she was doing here, or even where ‘here’ was. She had no idea of, well,  _ anything _ for that matter--where she assumed memories ought to be, she found only a terrifying blank expanse. 

“You don’t know your own name?” She nodded, not trusting herself to tell the lie again.

“Or why I’m here,” she added. “Where am I?”

“Hey, I’ve heard of this!” She nearly jumped when the blonde piped up from next to her. “It’s called amnesia!”

“It’s called a  _ load of pegasus dung _ ,” interjected a man wearing so much armor that Ruya wondered how she had missed him before. “Are we to believe that you don’t even recall your own name?” He scoffed. “A likely story.” Ruya quickly decided that she didn’t like him. There was something distinctly unsettling about the way he looked at her, even if she couldn’t tell why.

“But what if it is true, Frederick?” Chrom asked, turning to face the armored man and revealing a strange marking on his shoulder--it was shaped similar to a teardrop, and Ruya found her gaze drawn to it in curiosity. “We can’t just leave her here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be if we did?”  Ruya just barely refrained from commenting that the group in front of her seemed more like mercenaries than pastoralists. The armored one, Frederick, let out a sigh.

“Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. It wouldn’t do to let a wolf into our flock.” Chrom let out a sigh of his own, running a gloved hand through his hair.

“All right then--we’ll take her back to town and sort this out there.” Ruya’s gaze jerked back towards him.

“Don’t I have a say in this?” As much as she appreciated his belief in her story, she wasn’t so sure about the idea of going off with a group of _armed_ _strangers_. But Chrom only offered her a smile and settled a hand upon her shoulder.

“Peace, friend. I promise we’ll hear all that you have to say once we’re in town.” His words did little to put her at ease--not with Frederick taking up position behind her with a steady grip on a silver lance. But, seeing no other options at the moment, she allowed herself to be led in the direction of whatever town they had in mind.

 

* * *

 

 

“Am I to be your prisoner?” She thought it was a fair question, given that she was being marched towards town at what may as well be lance-point, but Chrom only laughed in response.

“No, no. You’re free to go once we establish you’re no enemy of Ylisse.”

“Ylisse….” She frowned. “Is that where we are?”

“You’ve never heard of the halidom? Ha! You play quite the fool,” Frederick scoffed from behind her, and Ruya bit her tongue before she could shoot off a retort. No need to anger the man most likely to kill her, after all, even if she really had no idea what Ylisse was.

“Frederick, please.” Thank the Gods for Chrom, Ruya thought. She frankly didn’t care if he really believed her about her amnesia or not--the fact that he was at least willing to entertain the idea was enough for her. “This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt.” She nodded, filing the information away for later. “I’m Chrom, as you know, and the delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa.” His lips twitched upwards as he gestured towards the blonde, who crossed her arms and turned to scowl at her brother.

“I am  _ not _ delicate!” The words were accompanied with a stamp of her foot, but when she turned back to Ruya, she wore a smile. “Ignore my brother, please. He’s a bit thickheaded, sometimes.” Ruya resisted the urge to laugh at the two of them. “Anyway, you’re lucky that the Shepherds found you! Brigands would’ve been a rude awakening.”

“You tend sheep in full armor?”

“It’s a dangerous job,” Chrom replied with an easy smile, though Ruya got the distinct feeling that there was something she was missing. “Just ask Frederick the Wary here.”

“It’s a title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. As much as I’d like to trust you, stranger, my station requires otherwise.” Ruya twisted her head to glance at the knight briefly. In truth, she doubted her really wanted to trust her, but she’d take his word for it all the same. With any luck, she’d only be with them a while longer, though the question of what she’d do next was a frightening one. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and whatever it was she could feel in the pockets of her coat. She didn’t even have a name to call her own, not one she could give at any rate, and never mind anything else, and-- _ oh _ .

“Robin.” So stunned by the revelation, she had frozen in her tracks, causing the knight to nearly stumble into her. “My name is Robin.” Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t the faintest idea where it came from, or why it was preferable to her real name, but she was certain it was hers. “I just remembered that.” Chrom opened his mouth as if to speak when Lissa cut him off with a gasp, tugging his arm with more urgency than Ruya had seen from her yet.

“Chrom, look! The town!” A pillar of black smoke rose in the distance, and though they’re still far away, Ruya can smell a hint of it in the air. Chrom cursed.

“Those blasted brigands, no doubt,” he grumbled. “Frederick, Lisaa, come with me.”

“What about her?”

“Unless she’s on fire as well, she can wait,” Chrom shot back, not even giving his lieutenant a backwards glance as he began charging towards the source of the flames, Frederick and Lissa not far behind him. Gods, they weren’t planning on fighting, were they? Sure, they were armed, from what she could tell, but did they even have a plan? They were  _ shepherds _ !

Ruya glanced down at herself. She knew she had a sword and a tome strapped to her sides, but it was only now that she checked their condition. The tome had plenty of pages left, and the sword seemed to be in good condition, even if she wasn’t sure she knew how to use it. Even so, she wasn’t about to just stand by and gawk when there were people in danger--not when she had the means to fight. And so, she tore off after the trio, hoping she wouldn’t be too far behind them.

She caught up to them just in time to see a brigand trying to attack Chrom from behind. She whipped her tome from its holster at her hip, hardly glancing at the page as she murmured the words to a spell. Electricity crackled through the air as a bolt struck the axe-wielder she’d been aiming from, causing him to glance back at her with wide eyes as he blocked a blow from the swordsman in front of him.

“Robin?!” Her first response was to fire another spell, freeing Chrom from the bandit he’d been clashing with. “Why did you follow us?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted freely, trying to ignore the way her stomach churned at the smell of charred flesh. “But I’m armed, and I know my way around a fight, if you’ll have me.” Chrom noded.

“Of course. Just stay close.” And then he was stepping around her, sheathing his blade in a third brigand. She swallowed back her nausea, taking the opportunity to assess the makeshift battlefield.

“Chrom, we need to regroup with Frederick and Lissa--it looks like most of the ones on this side have been dealt with. After that, we should push for their center and take out the leader. The rest should scatter after that, and if they don’t, they’ll be easy pickings.” She hardly waited for Chrom to agree to the plan before she took off in the direction she last saw the armored knight, leaving him no choice but to follow her. Together, they fell into an awkward rhythm. At times he had to pull himself back lest he crash into her, and she found herself reaching for her sword instead when it became clear that her spells came just a little too close for comfort, but they managed to reach their companions without major injury. She counted that as a win.

“Milord?” Frederick prompted, once they reached the shadow of his horse. Lissa slid off the saddle, waving her staff, and Chrom shot her a quick smile as he explained the plan to Frederick.

The bandit leader sneered at them from atop his throne, as if his posturing might change the fact that he was sorely outnumbered, thanks to Frederick taking the liberty of cutting through most of the brigands converging on their location. Chrom took the lead once more, his sword already in position to strike again. Robin rushed to cover him, her swings feeling just as haphazard as they had before. A swordmaster, clearly, she was not. 

 

Her hands ached as she brought up her blade to block the swing of an axe, the reverberation threatening to loosen her grip on the weapon--what a disaster  _ that _ would be. With a grunt, she shifted her weight so that the enemy stumbled to the side, and she wasted no time in returning a blow. More than one, actually, since her strikes weren’t the most effective, but they got the job done.

 

When it came to taking down the leader, however, she reached for her tome. It was well and good for her and Chrom to fight side-by-side when they had plenty of room. In close quarters, she was fairly sure she’d be more of a hindrance than a help. 

 

With a war cry, Chrom plunged his blade into the brigand’s chest, blood bursting forth as he tore the wound open. Ruya shot forth a spell of her own, though it was probably an unnecessary precaution.

“That’s the end of that,” Ruya murmured to herself, taking a cursory sweep of their surroundings to ensure that there were indeed no more enemies to be fought.

“It’s lucky we were close by,” Lissa said softly, having already gotten to work patching up Chrom. “But holy  _ wow _ , Robin! That was incredible!” Ruya gave her a blank look in return. “You’ve got swords, sorcery, and tactics! Is there anything you can’t do?” The cleric’s energy was infectious, in its own way, and though Ruya felt exhausted, she managed to crack a small smile.

“I’m not so sure if I’m particularly good with a sword,” she protested, remembering how strange the weapon had felt in her hand. “And I don’t know the answer to your question, either.”

“You’re certainly no helpless victim, that’s for sure,” Chrom mused, a strange look on his face.

“Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?” Frederick cut in. Ruya chewed on the inside of her lip and shook her head.

“I don’t know why I only remember some things, like my name and how to read a battlefield, but I’ve told you all that I know. Really.” His gaze seemed to only grow more piercing at her reply, leaving her with the distinct impression she’d done something wrong.

“Peace, Frederick.” It was Chrom once again who stepped in to shield her from the knight’s ire. “She fought for Ylissean lives--my heart says that’s enough.” Ruya offered him a smile in return.

“And your mind, milord?” Frederick pressed. “Will you not heed its counsel as well?” His gaze flickered away from Chrom, and Ruya followed it to the cooling bodies littering the town square. Something cold settled in her gut as she realized that they were each just as brown as she.

“The Shepherds could use someone with Robin’s talents,” Chrom replied, his voice pulling her attention away from the bodies. “Would you really have us lose such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her.”

“And so do I,” Lissa added, her pigtails bobbing along with her nodding.

“Thank you,” Ruya said softly as the two men seemed to hold a silent conversation she couldn’t even begin to decipher.

“So?” Chrom inquired, his smile growing as he turned back towards her. She raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure of what he was asking. “Will you join us?”  _ Oh _ . Ruya let out a breath and smiled.

“It would be an honor.”


	3. Chapter Two

“Dinner’s ready,” Chrom announced, pulling the meat off the flame and divvying it up for the others. He’d be the first to admit that bear meat didn’t have the most appetizing smell, but he’d grown to like it and wasn’t at all uneager to dig in.

“Couldn’t you spear us an animal  _ normal _ people eat for once?” Lissa groaned as she took her slab, eyeing it with distaste. “I mean come on--who eats bear? You’re messing with the food chain, Chrom! Right, Robin?” Robin, for her part, blinked owlishly at Lissa over a mouthful of bear meat. Lissa sighed, and Chrom bit back a laugh. “I suppose you’d enjoy anything after not eating for days,” she grumbled beneath her breath. Robin shrugged.

“It’s not that bad, Lissa.”

“Just eat it,” Chrom said, nudging Lissa slightly. “Meat is meat.” Lissa brought her own piece closer to her nose before pushing it away, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Since when does meat smell like old boots?!” she demanded. “Wait, no--boots smell better than that!”

“Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don’t enjoy,” Frederick interjected, despite the fact that he hadn’t touched his portion either. Chrom did feel a little bad about that--he knew Frederick didn’t care much for bear meat either, but it had been all he could find.

“Oh really? Then why don’t I see  _ you _ eating, Frederick?” Evidently, Lissa had noticed as well. Robin ducked her head behind her portion of meat to hide a smile, and Chrom shot her a conspiratorial grin of his own.

“Me?” Poor Frederick clearly hadn’t expected to have his own choices questioned. He coughed awkwardly before continuing. “Oh, well...I’m not hungry. I had a large lunch. Yes, quite.” He smiled tightly, but Lissa only scoffed. Chrom had to stifle his laughter before the knight could turn his indignant look onto him.

“If bear meat isn’t to your liking, I think I have a few crackers,” Robin offered, licking her hands clean before rummaging through her coat (which, evidently, came with pockets). She pulled out a small satchel and held it out. “They probably aren’t the most filling, but it’s better than nothing, right?” She then let out a yelp as Lissa threw her arms around her.

“You’re the  _ best _ , Robin, you know that?” Lissa grabbed for the satchel eagerly. “The absolute best.” Chrom shook his head good-naturedly as Lissa bit into a cracker, only to grow alarmed when she turned red in the light of the fire and let out a series of wheezy-sounding coughs. Frederick leapt to his feet, hands going towards his weapon, and Chrom threw himself in the middle of it all as he checked whether his sister was all right.

“Lissa?!”

“I’m okay, I’m okay, ow ow ow ow  _ ow _ ...” That, Chrom decided, did not sound like she was okay. “It’s just really spicy. Ow.” She coughed again. “Water, I need water!” Frederick was at her side in an instant, handing her a canteen, and she drank from it greedily.

“Are you alright?” Now that she didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, he was almost amused by her antics.

“Yup, totally fine.” She sucked in a breath, making a weird face and shuddering. “Gods, do you actually eat that stuff, Robin? Sorry I scared you, by the way.”

“It’s okay. And, well, yes?” Robin took back the pouch and eyed it quizzically. “I figured they were food, so I tried one earlier and it was fine.” She paused, her brows scrunching in a way that was, frankly, rather cute. “Maybe I’m just used to it?”

“Wait, wait, you found something unknown in your pockets,  _ assumed it was food _ , and just ATE it?!” Lissa waved her hands around in the air as she spoke. “Robin, that’s a terrible idea! What if it was poisoned?! What if it wasn’t even food?!” Robin looked terribly confused.

“Why would I be carrying poisoned food?” A fair question, Chrom had to admit, even as Lissa sputtered in response.

“I dunno! Someone could’ve planted it on you, or something!”

“Or you could have been carrying them for a target,” Frederick added, his gaze cold. Robin scowled in response. Chrom opened his mouth to protest his lieutenant’s continued suspicions, but Robin beat him to it.

“Well, I ate them and I’m fine, so  _ clearly _ they weren’t poisoned. But if it makes you feel better, Lissa, I’ll refrain from taste-testing anything else I find in my pockets from now on. And I’ll refrain from offering anything edible that I might happen to have on my person.” Chrom stifled a laugh--witty as she was, she probably wouldn’t appreciate his laughter at the moment.

“That’s enough,” he said instead, trying to defuse the atmosphere. “There’s no harm done, Frederick. Let’s get some rest for now--we aren’t far from the capital, and I’d like to try and make it by tomorrow.” Hearing no murmurs of disagreement, he added, “I’ll take the first watch.”

“A prudent suggestion, milord,” Frederick conceded. He stood and pulled several blankets from the bag attached to his horse’s saddle. Chrom frowned as he realized there would only be three--not quite enough if he wanted to have a blanket while on watch, even if it was a little chilly. Still, Frederick handed one to him. He passed it over to Robin the moment it was in his hands.

“You won’t be cold?”

“It’s not too bad,” he lied, offering her a smile. Spring nights could still be a little on the chilly side, even in the southern portion of Ylisse, but he could deal with it. “Besides, I think you need it more than I do. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you shivering, Robin.” She ducked her head, causing Chrom’s lips to twitch upwards in response.

“It’s too bad I couldn’t fit a blanket into my coat pockets, then,” she quipped. “But...thank you, Chrom. I appreciate it.” She bit her lip before adding, “And not just for the blanket, either.” His expression softened.

“There’s no need to thank me, Robin. And if anything, I should be thanking you—not many would agree to be a tactician for a man they just met.” He smiled kindly, and the corners of her mouth tilted upwards in return. “Get some rest. We’ve got a long march ahead of us.” She nodded and scooted a little closer to the fire before cocooning herself in the blanket.

Chrom watched his companions fall into a light sleep, their easy breathing and the crackle of the campfire the only interruptions to the quiet hum of the forest.

Little did he know that the moment’s peace would soon give way to disaster.

  
  


It began with an unnatural quiet. Chrom frowned as he realized that the only sound was that of the crackling fire and his companions’ even breathing. The forest had gone completely still, missing even the occasional buzz of insects and the rustling of the wind. He began to clamber to his feet, intent on having a look around, when Lissa stirred.

“Mm...Chrom?” She rubbed her eyes blearily as she squinted at him from across the fire. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Evidently, he hadn’t been as quiet as he hoped. But he didn’t see the need to alarm her just yet. “Something doesn’t feel right, that’s all. I was going to have a look around.” Lissa scrambled to her feet.

“Not alone, you’re not,” she told him, hands on her hips. “I’m coming too.” At that, he hesitated. Sure, it probably was safer to have an extra set of eyes and ears, but if push came to shove he didn’t want Lissa in the thick of things--especially not when her only weapon was a staff. He was sure that she could give someone a good hit if she put her mind to it, but he wouldn’t exactly count on it in a pinch...not that he’d tell her, lest he risk finding out just how hard she could swing that thing. 

“Well, all right.” In the end, he couldn’t say no to her determined expression. “Thanks, Lissa. Just stay behind me, yeah?” She beamed. 

“You got it!” 

With a spare lantern as their only light source, they set off into the brush, with Lissa trailing just behind him, as promised. The faint sense of unease he’d felt before only grew as they moved away from the camp, and even Lissa seemed unnerved by the silence. 

“Something’s wrong here...let’s hea--” He wouldn’t have the chance to finish his sentence as the ground began to shake. Lissa grabbed onto his arm for support as branches came tumbling down around them. The tremors grew to the point where even  _ he _ struggled to maintain his footing, and as the damage wrought increased from fallen branches to toppling trees, he began to push Lissa back in the direction of camp. “Run!” 

The ground seemed to crack underneath them, and Chrom cursed as he yanked Lissa onto his side. Red-hot  _ something _ (he was sure Miriel would have a name for it, but that was neither here nor there) bubbled up from the ground, a sour smell filling the air. It burned his lungs, but he kept moving, pushing Lissa forward until the ground beneath them no longer shook. 

“Chrom, what  _ is _ that?” So focused had he been on the fires beginning to break out that he hadn’t even noticed the sky, where a gateway in the shape of an eye opened before them. 

“No idea. But stay back.” Two figures fell from the sky--whether they were friend or foe he had no idea, but he  _ definitely _ didn’t like the way they got right back up after taking such a dive or the way their eyes glowed red. They let out a hoarse, choked sort of growl that sent a chill down his spine and began to lumber forward. 

One lunged, claws bared, and Lissa let out a shriek as he rushed forward to meet it. Falchion cut easily through, releasing the smell of death, but the thing seemed unfazed by the wound until Chrom drove his blade straight through its chest, ending it. He grimaced as the creature turned to ash. He  _ really _ did not like these things, whatever they were.

Lissa screamed. He tore his attention away from the lack of remains to find the other had advanced upon her, axe raised. Gods, he wouldn’t make it in time--he was too far away--and that staff of hers wouldn’t hold up against more than one blow. He propelled himself to his feet, her name on his lips, when a figure in blue cut between Lissa and the creature, blocking it with his body. 

“Help!” The shock and relief that his sister would be all right had stunned him, but the swordsman’s words were all he needed to leap back into action, teaming up with the stranger to take out the remaining creature. As the other stored their blade, he caught sight of a  _ very _ familiar hilt. His brow furrowed--how could there be another Falchion? He would have asked, but at that moment, Frederick came barreling into the clearing, poor Robin clinging to him for dear life before sliding ungracefully out of the saddle.

“Are these creatures commonplace here?” Robin asked once she’d regained her footing and made her way to his side. Chrom shook his head.

“They’re not from Ylisse. I can promise you that.” He offered her a lopsided smile. “I don’t suppose you can read  _ these _ enemies all the same?”

“Surprisingly, I can.” She offered him a grim smile. “It seems I don’t need to know what they are for my skills to be of use. Frederick, Lissa, let’s regroup and take these...things out!”


	4. Chapter Three

The battle had gone much quicker than she’d feared it might after they were joined by a Ylissean knight named Sully and her tag-along acquaintance Virion. Even so, it had still run long enough that Chrom had opted to simply continue towards the capitol, rather than sleep, upon its conclusion. They had all been exhausted, but no one argued against it--the earthquake made it difficult to find a proper campsite, and they were all more than a little rattled by the encounter with those foul-smelling creatures. So, Virion and Sully had been sent back to the capitol on horseback, leaving the rest of them to walk through the remainder of the woods--or what was left of them, anyway.

By the time they reached Ylisstol, the sun was high overhead, and the city was bustling with activity. Vendors called out to passersby, attempting to entice them into looking at their wares, the smell of baked bread and other foods wafted through the streets, and children weaved through the crowd, laughing, as people pushed by to get a head start on their day.

“There’s so many people!” Ruya breathed, her eyes widening as she tried to take in everything at once. Her exhaustion vanished in the face of wonder. She allowed Chrom and Lissa to lead her through the crowd, too busy gawking at the buildings and signs around them to really pay attention to where she was going, though she stopped several times to tug on their sleeves excitedly to point out the doves flying overhead or a fountain or even just a colorful display of fruit. Each time she was met with an amused sort of smile, and she flushed, realizing that this was all probably mundane to them, but by the time the next sight had caught her eye, she’d forgotten all about that and tugged at their sleeves just as eagerly as she had before.

Suddenly, the crowd began to shift, excited whispers that she couldn’t make out spreading across the people as they shuffled out of the way, forcing the four of them to move along with them.

“The Exalt is here!” cried one member of the crowd, his voice close enough that Ruya could actually pick out the words before Chrom pulled her over by the elbow, lest she get lost in the throng of people.The Exalt had long, blonde hair and a gentle smile. She wore a light green cloak over a delicate-looking white dress. The brand present upon Chrom’s shoulder sat upon her forehead, and Ruya wondered if it was common for the people of Ylisse to have such a birthmark. At her side was a woman in blue, armed but evidently not particularly concerned about a threat.

“The Exalt...that’s your ruler, right?”

“Right,” Frederick replied with a nod. “Her name is Lady Emmeryn.”

“And...it’s safe for her to walk around like this?”

“The Exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse’s most prized quality. Long ago, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world, but our Exalt joined forces with the Divine Dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then.” Frederick sounded as if he were reading from a script, and yet Ruya couldn’t help but feel that there had to be something more to the story than what he said. There had to be...right?

“The people need her,” Chrom added. “She’s a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war.”

“Then the people are lucky to have her,” Ruya mused, wondering why there might be war. She wondered if it had anything to do with the bandits they’d faced back in Southtown--hadn’t Lissa said something to that effect?

“Yep! And she's the best big sister anyone could ask for!” Lissa added, wearing a grin.

“Yes, I suppose she would be.” It was only after she spoke that Lissa’s words fully caught up to her. “Wait, what?!” She whirled around to face Chrom and Lissa, both of whom seemed to be trying very hard to keep straight faces. The nerve of them!

“They are the prince and princess of the realm, yes,” Frederick supplied. “I suppose we did forget to mention that detail.” There was something light in his expression--amusement, perhaps?--but Ruya was too busy gaping at them to think on it for long. Chrom’s lips twitched upwards as he watched her, and she crossed her arms and shot him an accusatory glare.

“ _ You _ .” She reached forward to poke his chest. “You said you were  _ shepherds _ !” At that, he began to laugh. It was a rather nice sound, she had to admit, but she scowled at him in return until he held his hands up in surrender.

“We are, in a manner of speaking. We just have a lot of sheep.” His lips continued to twitch towards a smile, but he’d calmed, at the very least. “Besides, Lissa and I never really cared for all the formalities.” She blanched, realizing that while she might not know the rules of Ylissean society just yet, she most definitely hadn’t been treating the two as royalty.

“Sorry, Robin.” Lissa didn’t sound the least bit sorry, with the way she was speaking through her giggles, but Ruya found she couldn’t be too upset with the blonde. “But you should’ve seen your face!”

“Yes, well, I’m glad some of us were entertained,” Ruya replied dryly. “I guess that does explain why Frederick tolerates all the teasing.”

“Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm…” The knight closed his eyes, smiling faintly. Ruya was surprised he’d gone along with her joke.

“It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?”

“Is that allowed?” Chrom chuckled once again.

“Well, ordinarily, maybe not,” he conceded. “But you’re with us. Shall we?” She nodded. What else could she have said?

It was easy to reach the castle in the wake of the Exalt’s entourage, and Ruya found herself marveling at the castle’s grandeur. The marble walls, the suits of armor, the elaborate paintings--everything was just so eye-catching that she didn’t realize that her companions had come to a stop until she’d walked straight into Chrom’s back. She jolted backwards with an undignified squeak, earning her another round of laughter from Lissa.

“Welcome home, Chrom, Lissa.” The Exalt spoke as if Lissa weren’t currently laughing at Ruya’s expense, and Ruya poked her head around Chrom’s shoulders to get a better look at the Exalt. She’d only managed to catch a glimpse of her in the crowd, and she knew without a doubt that that glimpse had failed to do her justice. 

Exalt Emmeryn was radiant, with light blonde hair that framed her soft features and the elegant cut of her robes and a regal, but not stiff, posture. She also had the prettiest smile Ruya had ever seen (not that she’d seen that many smiles, but still), and Ruya tried very hard not to gawk at the woman in front of her. “And good day, Frederick. How fared you all?”

“Well enough,” Chrom replied, his posture straightening, and Ruya took that as a cue to step out from behind him. “We shouldn’t have any bandit problems for a while.”

“And our people?”

“Safe as they can be,” Chrom assured, and Emmeryn nodded, her smile widening as her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “We need to watch the borders, though. The brigands crossed over from Plegia.” Ruya frowned, tucking the term away for later.

“Forgive me, milord,” said a knight who stood behind Emmeryn. “My pegasus knights should have intercepted them.” Chrom shook his head.

“No, your duty was here, with the Exalt.” She inclined her head--to acknowledge his words, perhaps? It seemed to be the most logical explanation.

“Besides, we had plenty of help!” Lissa piped up, flashing Ruya a cheery grin.

“You speak of your new companion here?” Emmeryn’s gaze settled on Ruya, who found herself tongue-tied. Thankfully, Chrom saved her from having to stumble her way through an introduction.

“This is Robin. She fought bravely with us against the brigands, so I’ve decided to make her a Shepherd.”

“It sounds as if Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Robin.” Ruya’s eyes widened, and she shook her head quickly, pigtails swinging over her shoulders in the process.

“Not at all, milady!” She was fairly sure her voice came out at a higher pitch than it should have, and she resisted the urge to hide behind Chrom once again. But Emmeryn only smiled, and she hoped that that was a good sign.

Frederick stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“Forgive me, Your Grace.” He cast a backwards glance towards Ruya, though she wasn’t sure why. “Robin claims to have lost her memory, but it is only that--a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that she is a brigand herself, or even a Plegian spy.” The words stung--Ruya had begun to think that the knight had grown to tolerate her. Evidently, he had not, and she lowered her gaze to the floor, unwilling to see how the others might react.

“Frederick.” Chrom’s tone was harsher than she’d heard it yet, and she flinched away from him on an instinct she didn’t realize she had.

“Yet you allowed her here, Chrom. Does she have your trust?”

“Without a doubt.” His voice had softened, and Ruya snuck a glance upwards at him. “She risked her life for our people--that’s good enough for me.”

“Then you have my faith as well, Robin.” Emmeryn smiled kindly. “However, I do appreciate your prudence, Frederick. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian.” Frederick nodded--evidently, the Exalt’s word was enough to get him to drop the matter entirely. “Now...I received your message from Sully earlier this morning. Now that you’re here, I would like to hold council. Frederick, Chrom, if you would join us.”

“Of course.” Chrom exchanged a look with Lissa, who nodded and stepped closer to Ruya as he and Frederick began to follow Emmeryn elsewhere. Lissa grabbed one of Ruya’s hands with her own before she could begin to ask what they ought to do in the meanwhile.

“That’s our cue, Robin! Come on, there’s a place I want to show you!”


	5. Chapter Four

“Ta-da!” Lissa threw the door to the garrison open with a flourish, beaming at Robin before nudging her through the entryway. “Go on, make yourself at home! This is the Shepherds’ barracks.” Robin stepped in hesitantly, and Lissa skipped ahead of her, letting the door swing shut behind them. She was about to make introductions, only to be met with a faceful of blonde curls.

“Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I’ve been on pins and needles!” Maribelle pulled away just enough to get a good look at her, and Lissa giggled at the sight of her friend scrutinizing her for any sign of injury. Really, Maribelle worried way too much!

“Hey there, Maribelle.”

“‘Oh hey’ yourself!” Maribelle huffed. “I’ve sprouted fourteen gray hairs fretting over you!” To some, it might have sounded almost rude, but Lissa knew that it was just Maribelle’s way of showing she cared.

“Aw, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two!”

“Where’s Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol’ Teach and his trust axe!” Vaike smirked and flexed his muscles, earning him a good-natured roll of the eyes from the princess. “Anyway, what’s with the  _ doli _ ?” Lissa’s eyes widened, and she turned quickly to gauge Robin’s reaction. To her surprise, there was none--aside from the tactician giving her a puzzled look in reply, anyway. Well...maybe that was for the best. Maybe that meant Robin had forgotten the meaning of the word. Or, maybe, she hadn’t encountered it before--though Lissa figured the former was more likely.

“Vaike!” She was grateful when Maribelle stepped in, her hands planted firmly on her hips. “Such words are hardly fit for polite company. You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” Her scolding finished, Maribelle then rounded on Robin. “And you! If you don’t say anything, you’ll only encourage that sort of behavior by making them think that it’s acceptable.” With that, she all but flounced out of the barracks.

“Maribelle’s right, Vaike. Don’t call her that. Oh, and Robin…don’t take what she said too personally? She means well, I promise.” Lissa cleared her throat and clapped her hands together, hoping that they could move on without incident. “Right, well, everyone, meet Robin! She just joined the Shepherds, and Chrom made her our new tactician! You should see all the tricks she’s got up her sleeve!”

“Like what, getting us all killed?” Vaike scoffed. “What the hell was Chrom thinking?!”

“How can you say that, Vaike? You don’t even know her! Besides, she’s fought  _ two _ battles with us now, and she did a great job leading us. Just ask Sully!”

“Trust her if ya want, but don’t come crying to Teach when she leads us straight into an ambush.” Lissa opened her mouth to protest when Robin stepped in, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I can’t expect everyone to trust me from the moment we meet,” Robin began. “But I don’t understand the open hostility, either. I haven’t done anything to you.” Vaike snorted. “If it  _ really _ bothers you that much, I’m sure Frederick would be happy to keep an extra eye on me.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just know that Teach is gonna--” He was cut off by the door to the barracks swinging open as Chrom entered. Judging from the easy way he carried himself, Lissa would have to guess that he hadn’t heard what was going on...or figured out that the mood in the room was tense as can be.

“Captain!” Sumia shot up from her chair, only to trip and fall flat on her face. Lissa winced in sympathy. Poor thing. She was clumsy enough as it was, but being around Chrom always seemed to make things worse.

“Sumia, are you all right?” Chrom offered her a hand up. “Those boots of yours again?”

“No!” Sumia replied quickly. “I mean, yes! I mean…” She flushed again, and Chrom stared at her curiously for a moment longer. Honestly, how dense could he be? Seriously, the poor thing. Or maybe not--maybe Sumia would prefer her rather obvious crush go unnoticed by the object of her affections.

“Listen, everyone: in the morning, we’ll be marching to Regna Ferox.” Robin’s brow furrowed in a way Lissa was becoming  _ very _ familiar with as she echoed the name of Ylisse’s northern neighbor.

“A unified kingdom to Ylisse’s north,” Sumia supplied, evidently having recovered from her previous tumble enough to see Robin’s expression. “They say it’s inhabited by barbarians…”

“Warriors, not barbarians,” Chrom corrected. “And strong ones, too. We’ll need their strength to quell this new menace. Typically, the Exalt would request such aid in person, but given recent events…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Well, the people might worry should she leave the capital, so we’re to go in her stead. Now, this mission is strictly voluntary, so if, for any—“

“I volunteer!” Lissa shouted, her hand shooting straight upwards into the air as if she were in her lessons. Chrom chuckled as several others did the same.

“Um…” Chrom turned his gaze towards Sumia as she spoke up, lacing her fingers together nervously. “I’m not sure I’m quite ready for a proper mission, so I might just be in the way, but...if it’s all right, I’d like to come along as well.”

“Of course. You could stay behind the main group and simply watch during battle, if you’d like. Stay by me, and you’ll be fine.” Sumia’s expression shifted from unsure to determined, and she nodded.

“Oh yes! I mean, yes sir!” Chrom offered her a grin before turning his attention to Robin.

“And what about you, Robin? I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted a chance to settle in.” She shook her head.

“No, I’m going. You hired me as your tactician--I won’t be of any use if I stay here. And, well...given recent events, it’s probably best that I go along with you anyway.” Vaike grumbled under his breath, and Chrom frowned slightly.

“Right…in that case, Vaike, Kellam, would you go tell the others? Sumia, if it isn’t too much trouble, do you think you could help Robin get the supplies she’ll need for the march?”

Once the barracks were clear of all except for himself and Lissa, Chrom sighed.

“What happened?”

“Well…” Lissa clasped her hands behind her back and chewed on her lip. She didn’t want to lie to her brother, and really, he did need to know what had happened. That didn’t mean she wanted to tell him, though--not when she knew it would make him upset. “Vaike may have called her a…a you-know-what.” She paused. “And accused her of wanting to lead us into an ambush.” Chrom grimaced.

“I’ll have a word with him. In the meanwhile, make sure Robin is all right? She and Sumia can’t have gone far.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Lissa planted her hands on her hips and stared up at her brother defiantly. “I mean, I am going to do it, but you can’t just pass all of this onto me. You’re her friend, too, and so you’d better check up on her yourself later. Got it?” Chrom ruffled her hair, and Lissa let out a squawk as she pushed him away and tried to fix her pigtails. Even so, she couldn’t bring herself to be  _ too _ mad at him--he was smiling again, after all.

“I will, Lissa. Just…make sure she’s all right, in the meanwhile?”

“Now  _ that _ , I can do. Just leave it to me!”

  
  
  



End file.
